The Irish standard., 1887-12-10
REV. Or. BERNARD O'REILlY
On The Greatest Of Italian Historians
---Cesare Cantu's "Univer-
sal History,
HOW THE WORK WAS COMPLETED
Ba}four's Inquisition~--supplemsntary Re
fections On Themes Of
the Day.

the Day,
Two semi monthly numbers just re-
ceiyed of the new edition of Cesare
Cantu's "Tniversal History revised
and completed by the ver ers:ah|e anthnr,
now in his S6th year, recall to Dr.
Bernard O'Reilly a conversation he had
with him in Milan in February, 1881.
The mention of New York brought the
great historian To speak OF Count Mar
onceN, who, with Silvio Pellico, had
been carried of to the fortress of Spiel
berg by the Austrian government tor
the political offences which made the
Austrian police, some years Later, cast
Cesare Cant'l into prison, and subject
him, after twelve months Of incarcera-
ton, to the most relentless and unce2s-
ing persecution. Cantu, who has long
survlved the extinction Of Austrian rule
in northern Italy, has by q singular
change of fortune, been appointed pre-
feet of the archives in Milan, which
contain, among so many other docf1~
ments ueyer intended for publicity,
the very secret Instructions given to the
police to hound, and harass, and hunt
MIN down wt,ithersoever he went. to-
gether with the reports on his charac-
ter. connexions and writings furnished
to the government by their secret
agents. When his editors asked him,
six wears ago, to undertake q complete
revision OF his gigantic work, the
Universal History" he wrote to me
to say how little probability there was
that he could have strength and life
enough to caray it out. He had con-
ceived, while in the solitude Ct
his Austrian prison, the plan Of
this wonderful history, and had
begun to execute it soon after
his release, and amid the obstacles
which the ever watchful authorities
created for him. He could not find in
Lombardy Or Venetia single publish
er willing to print his work. lie took
the first volume to Pomba Of Turin, who
consented to publish it in monthly
Darts It had a marvellous success, and
volume after volume was issued and
translated into the principle languages
cf continental! Europe. 'frhey have
discovered
PREHISTORIC MAN
since + completed the first edition. he
wrote to me. ''And now / shall have
to supply this deficiency in my work:
and shall have torec st all that relates
to ancient history" have now fol-
lowed the parts, or semi~nonthly nntn
bers, as they have appeared down to the
thirteenth century and the reign OF the
Emperor Frederick H., and | have been
amazed at the vast learning Of the his
torlan, at that unique faculty of analy-
sis and concentration. which has EN-
braced the records Of all time. the prin-
ciples and results of all the arts ald
sciences, and has given them to us in
these pregnant pages in language which
a child Can understand. Just, how
ever, as Cantu had brought his vast
narrative down to the establishment Of
Christianity. his frequent indisposition
and advanced age n tde his editors as
as well as his countless friends fear that
he might not be spared to finish his
self-imposed task. They requested,
therefore, that he should put in proper
form that last portion of bis historical
labors embraced on the two works sup
plementary to the ''Storia Universale, y
namely, his astoria di Cento Ami, {"
and his astoria di Trent AnRi,'' which
narrate the event and various progress
of the modern world down to the pres
ent year. This enables the historian
to give MS comprehensive sketch Of
the life Of our busy humanity, as the
concluding portion of his labor for the
last century aud half. The peoples
of America, Africa, Asia and Australia,
as we'll as the countries and natiOnali-
ties of Europe, are described with a
mastery hand. Political and social
systems, religious movements, the
sciences and arts in their every field Of
application and theory, all stand forth
clearly grouped in their proper rea-
tions. Every single phase of this sue.
cessiye march of the human generation
through the ages, demonstrates con-
.yincingly the author s central idea, that
man, under the guidance of Providence,
is continually progressing toward what
is best. Americans can have no fault
to! find with Cantu's account of the rise
OF the United States and Of the pro-
.digious. growth Of the republic. His
innate love Of genuine religi Gus and
t;oa1 N hort ri upe hir "a ras DIV svm.